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How communities from the Marina Alta to the Vega Baja organise the festive season - with regional customs, family routines and an atmosphere that audibly slows down December.
The Advent season on the Costa Blanca usually begins at the end of November, when the first communities switch on their lights. The festive calendar has followed the same coordinates for decades: On 8 December, the Inmaculada Concepción, the Christmas phase begins. The 6 January, The Día de Reyes, which marks the end of the season, is also the most important family holiday of the year.
Between these dates, a programme develops that varies from place to place, but is deeply rooted everywhere. Particularly visible is the regional Cot cultureDénia, Altea, Benissa, Calpe, Elche, Alicante and Torrevieja set up Belenes every year, which range from simple stables to detailed miniature landscapes. Many nativity scenes take up typical coastal elements - harbour motifs, fishing boats, orange groves or mountain huts from the hinterland.
Christmas Eve is traditionally kept quiet. Most families celebrate in a small circle and later visit the Misa del Gallo, the midnight mass, which is accompanied by choirs and brass bands in Altea, Alicante, Dénia, Villajoyosa and Torrevieja.
In the weeks before and after, light installations characterise the streetscape: the Marqués de Campo in Dénia, the old town of Altea, the large-scale projections in Alicante or the coloured arches along the promenade in Torrevieja. They create that mixture of Mediterranean serenity and festive atmosphere that makes the region recognisable every year in December.
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